Building blocks



April 27, 1965 G. PERsAK, JR 3l80,059

BUILDING BLOCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20. 1961 INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 27, 196s G. PERSAK, JR 3,180,059

BUILDING BLOCKS Filed lOc't.. 20, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /f if @i l f /JZLOT@ '@P@ @fQS @wx by /42 w a 'ea/ye verval/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,180,059 BUHJDING BLCKS George Persak, Jr., Verona, NJ., assigner to Henry P. C. Keuls, New York, N.Y. Filed Oct. 2f), 1961, Ser. No. 146,542 4 Claims. (Ci. 50-405) This invention relates to building blocks for use in building exterior or interior walls, partitions, room-dividers, and the like.

lMore particularly, the invention -is concerned with building blocks for the above-mentioned purposes, constructed so as to enable them to be used in erecting a wall or partition without the necessity of employing mortar or other cementitious material for bonding together the .adjacent blocks composing the wall or partition.

Still more particularly, the invention is concerned with a building block of the aforesaid character, constructed `in the form of a hollow, substantially rectangular portion having relatively elongated front and back walls connected by end Walls parallel to one another, a separate 'horizontal top wall and a separate horizontal bottom wall, the former being provided with upwardly projecting male elements which frictionally engage vertically aligned openings in the bottom wall of the blocks of a superposed row, thereby to interlock the blocks of each row with Vthose of the rows next below and next above.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a building block of the character above set forth, so constructed as to enable adjacentblocks of each horizontal row to be connected to one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a building block of the aforesaid construction, which will permit a number of adjacent blocks of each row to be connected to one another without requiring the use of any member or part additional to those composing the blocks per se.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a building block as aforesaid, constructed so as to enable several rows of several blocks each, to be pre-assembled as a uni-t, the adjacent blocks of the pre-assembled unit being interlocked with blocks of a vertically adjacent row as well as horizontally within each row. Still another object of the invention is to provide building block of the character aforesaid, so constructed as to enable it to be manufactured by automation processes,

and hence at greatly reduced cost.

A still further object of the invention is to provide building blocks as aforesaid, which may be readily utilized in erecting a wall, partition, or the like, by relatively unskilled labor.

Stated briefly, the objects of the invention may be achieved by providing as the horizontal top wall for the hollow, rectangular body portion of the blocks, a rnernber having a length corresponding to a multiple of the length of each block, and arranged so that it will serve to connect a number of adjacent blocks in a horizontal row -to one another. i

Further, in accordance with the invention, Ithe top member is provided with means cooperating with means formed adjacent the upper-most edges of the front and back walls of the hollow body portion of the blocks, for effecting a rm interlock between the member and the several bloc-ks of a row which it connects to one another.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an expanded view, in perspective, of a building block constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Y FIG. Zis a View, in front elevation, of a portion of a ice Wall, partit-ion, room-divider or the like, composedV of a number of superposed rows of blocks embody-ing the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan View oi a top Wall member for connecting several blocks of a row as shown in FIGS. 1 'and 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

fFIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 5;

lFIG. 6 is anexpanded view on an enlarged scale, of the parts shown in F-IG. 4; j

. FIG 7 is a view in cross-sectiony taken along line 7-7 tof FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary View, in perspective, showing a modiiication of one of the parts; and

FIG. 9 is 'a view, in vertical cross-section showing a modication of another of the par-ts.

The invent-ion in its preferred form is herein illustrated as embodied in a building block constructed as described `and claimed in my companion application Serial No. 146,669, tiled on even date herewith. Referring more in detail to the drawings, lthe building block of the invention is indicated as a Whole by numeral 510. As will be seen from the drawing, it is composed of three separate parts, namely, a substantially rectangular hollow body .portion 111, a separately formed top wall member lf2, and a bottom Wall member 13, preferably also separately formed.

IEach of these three parts of the block may be made of any suitable material which can readily be shaped to the desired form. Preferably, they are made'of metal of, say Z2 to 28 gauge sheet steel. ,-I-f desired, however, particularly in the case of blocks to be used for interior partitions or room-dividers which are not required to be load-supporting, Athe parts may be formed from suitable synthetic resinous plastic material of commercially available types, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, or copolymers such as `zytcryloni-trilebutadiene-styrene, or the like, which may be bormed in the desired shape by injection molding, extrusion, vacuum-forming, or other suitable forming processes.

It desired, the body portion maybe made, of a material diiferent than that of which the'top and bot-tom members yare made. Thus, the body portion may be of metal, glass, or resinous plastic, whereas the top and bottom members are made of sheet metal, or vice versa.

IIn terms of practical dimensions, the blocks may be of v a length of, say, twelve to thirty-six inches or more, a width of, say, two to six inches, and a height of, say, six to ten inches. v

The body portion 11 comprises a pair of relatively elongated front and back walls 15, 16 joined at their respective end-s by transversely extending, parallel end walls 17, 18.

The body member 11, particularly when made from sheet metal, is preferably fabricated, as by stamping the same, from two separate pieces thereof. Thus, as shown in the drawing, particularly FIGVV 1 thereof, one of these pieces, indicated by numeral 20, is formed to provide a central portion constituting the front wall 16` of the body, and is bent at a right angle, at one end of the central portion to provide a portion 17a of the end wall 17. It is similarly bent at the opposite end of the central portion to provide a portion 18h of the end wall 18. Similarly, the other piece 21 is formed to provide the back wall15 of the body, the portion 17h and the portion 18a yof the end wall 18. As will be seen from the drawing,

the central portion Vof each of the pieces Z0 and 21 is of somewhat greater transverse 'dimension than that of the i 3 portions 17a, 17b, 18a, 18h, and the longitudinal dimension of each of the portions 17b and 18b is somewhat greater than that of the portions 17a and 18a.

Adjacent the marginal edge of each portion 17b, 18h, there is formed an inwardly directed groove or depression 17e, 18C, respectively, extending transversely from one longitudinal edge of the respective portions to the other thereof. At the marginal edge of each portion 17a, 18a, there is formed an outwardly directed ange 17d, 18d, respectively, extending transversely from one longitudinaledge thereof to the other, in a plane preferably at a right angle to the plane of the respective portions 17a, 18a, andY lying slightly offset with respect to the axis of the grooves 18e, 17C, respectively. Y

When the two pieces 20, 21 as thus formed are joined at their opposite ends, as by spot welding, along the overlapping margins of the portions 17a, 17b and 18a, 18b, the hollow rectangular body member 11 Vof the block will result.

As will be seen, when one of the blocks is positioned with each of its end walls abutting the correspondingly opposite end walls of adjacent blocks in a horizontal row of blocks, the anges 17d, 18d of each block will, respectively, be disposed in the grooves 18c,717c of the adjacent blocks in the same row. The thus partially overlapped anges in the vertical joints between the adjacent blocks will thereby preclude the passage of light throughA the joints from one face of the wall or pantition to the other.

The central portion of each of the pieces 21, 20 is formed along one of its opposite longitudinal margins with inwardly directed right-angular return-bent portions 23, 24 terminating in flanges 2S, 26, respectively. The flanges 25, 26 each extend at a right angle to the vouter leg of the respective return-bent portions. At the opposite longitudinal margin of each of the pieces 21, 20 there is formed a similar return-bent portion 27, 28, terminating in right-angularly extending flanges 29, 30, respectively.

For a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described, the end walls 17 and 18 of the body portion 11 are each provided at the junctures between these walls and the depending legs of the return-bent portions 23, 24, with ver tical slots 31 extending down from the upper edges of the end walls a distance substantially equal to the height of the depending legs of the return-bent portions.

For that purpose also, the depending legs of the returnabent portions 23 and 24 are each formed with a series of openings 33, which may be either of elliptical or circular outline, and spaced from one another at suitable distances. Similar openings 34 may be formed in the upwardly directed legs of return-bent portions 27. and 28.V

The bottom wall member 13 of the block may likewise be fabricated by stamping the same from sheet metal, and is of a length substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension between the end walls 17 and 18 of the body v portion 11. Member 13`is formed along its opposite longitudinal margins with right-angularly extending flanges 36, extending the full length of the member and being spaced transversely from one another a distance such as to provide a snug t when this member 13 is inserted between the legs of the return-bent portions 27, 28 at the bottom of the body portion 11. `The transverse dimension of each of the flanges 36 is such that when the bottom member is inserted between the legs of return-bent portions 27, 28 at the bottom of the body portion 11, and the longitudinal terminal edges of the anges 36 have been brought into contact with the bottom surfaces of the flanges 29, 30, the bottom horizontal surface of member 13 will be disposed in a plane lying about 1A@ to l/S inch above the longitudinal and transverse bottom edges of the body portion 11. Y

Formed along each of the flanges 36, as by'punching Vthe same, is a series of spaced, outwardly extending knobs 37, preferably of semi-spherical shape. The knobs 37 are-4 disposed so that each of them will be received in one of the openings 34 in the upwardly directed legs of returnbent portions 27, 28 when member 13 is positioned properly at the lower open end of body portion 11. Thus, the bottom wall member 13, when inserted between the legs of return-bent portions 27, 28, will not only be held in place by frictional engagement of the flanges 36 with the legs of the return-bent portions, but will be rmly locked in place by engagement of each of the knobs 37 with one of the openings 34.

The member 12, constituting the top wall of the blocks, may be fabricated by stamping the same from sheet metal. In accordance with the invention, member 12 is of a length substantially equal to a multiple of the length of each block, and is so constructed as to enable it to connect that multiple number of adjacent blocks in a horizontal row to one another. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, particularly FIGS. l, 2 and 3 thereof, member 12 is of a length substantially equal to four times the length of each block.

At each of its longitudinal margins, member 12 is formed with a right-angularly depending ilange 32, these anges extending the full length of the member and be-4 ing spaced transversely from one another a distance such as to provide a snug lit when the thus formed member is inserted between the depending legs of the return-bent portions 23, 24 at the upper open end of body portion 11.

The height or transverse dimension of each of the tianges 32 is somewhat greater than that of the anges 36 of the bottom member 13, being substantially equal to the height of the slots' 31, and such that when the top member is inserted at the upper open end of body portion 11, with the longitudinal terminal edges of flanges 32 resting'upon the uppersurfaces of ,the flanges 25, 26, the upper horizontal surface of member 12 will be disposed in a plane lying above the uppermost longitudinal and transverse edges of body portion 11 a distance substantially equal to that by which the bottom horizontal surface of the member 13 extends above the lowermost edges of the body portion 11.

Thus, as will be seen from the drawing, particularly FIGS. 4 and 6 thereof, when the blocks are properly positioned in superposed rows, passage of light from one face of the wall or partition to the other, along the horizontal joints between adjacent rows of blocks, will be precluded.

Formed as by punching the same, along each of the flanges 32 is a series of outwardly projecting knobs 38 spaced from one another at distances equal to the spacing between the openings 33 in the return-bent portions 23, 24 of the body 11.

When member 12 is properly positioned to constitute the top wall member of several adjacent blocks in a row, the .flanges 32 thereof will be disposed within the aligned slots 31 formed in the end walls of the blocks and be frictionally held therein. At the same time, member 12 will be frictionally held by the engagement of the anges 32 with the inner surfaces of the depending legs of return-bent portions 23, 24, and will be firmly locked in place by engagement of each of the knobs 38 with one of the openings 33. By positioning each member 12 so that its ends are offset longitudinally with respect to one end .of the several blocks which it is to serve, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the joints between abutting ends of adjacent members V12 will be oset with respectto the vertical joints between abutting ends of adjacent blocks.

In lieu of the openings 33 in the return-bent portions for receiving and interlocking with the knobs 3S, the depending legs of the return-bent portions may each be formed with an outwardly directed, longitudinally extending groove'35, as shown in FIG. 8.

In order to preclude the passage of light from one face of the wall or partition to the other, along the corners of the blocks, i.e., those places where the Vertical joints between abutting blocks in a row intersect the horizontal joints between the rows of blocks immediately thereabove and therebelow, the horizontal central portion of member 12 is formed with -a series of suitably spaced tabs 4l) extending upwardly therefrom along the longitudinal median line of the member, and with a series of intervening openings 42, preferably of square shape, each disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal median line. At its opposite ends, member 12 is formed with rectangular shaped notches 44, similarly disposed and extending inwardly of these ends a distance equal to one-half the dimension of the sides of the openings 42.

A downwardly directed tab 41, similar to the tabs 40, is formed midway along the longitudinal median line of the bottom member 13 of each block. Each of the bottom members is also formed at its opposite ends with a rectangular notch 45 similar to the notches 44.

The tabs 4t? and 41 are located in the respective members 12, 13 so as to span across each point of intersection of the horizontal and vertical joints between the blocks. In other words, each tab 40 is disposed so as to be received between the lower ends of flanges 17d, 18d of two horizontally abutting blocks in the row next above; and each tab 41 is disposed so as to be received between the upper ends ot anges 17d, 18d of the abutting blocks in the row next below, being accommodated for such reception by the opening 42 overlying the upper end of the Vertical joint.

In lieu of the tabs 40 and 41 formed in top and bottom members 12 and 13, respectively, the latter may be formed with rectangular-shaped openings for cooperation with separate insert plates 46 as shown in FIG. 9. The plates 46 each comprises a at piece of material conigured in the shape of a cross having an overall length such as to be accommodated in the space between the transverse edges of opposite notches 44 at the upper and lower ends of the vertical joints between adjacent blocks. The plates 46, positioned in a vertical plane at the upper and lower ends of each of the vertical joints, will have one of their arms 47 disposed between anges 17d,

18d, either Iat the upper or the lower end of the vertical v joints, while the other arm 47 thereof is disposed in an opening either in member 13 of the superposed block or in member 12 of the subjacent block, as the case may be.

In order to interlock the blocks of a row with those of the rows immediately above and below, the top member 12 may be provided with -a series of suitably spaced protrusions 5t), preferably of hollow cylindrical form, disposed in longitudinal alignment with one another along the longitudinal median line thereof and projecting a distance of, say, 1%; to 1A inch above the upper surface of member 12. The bottom member of each block is formed with a series of square-shaped openings 51 spaced longitudinally from one another along the longitudinal median line of the member so as to be disposed in axial alignment with the protrusions 5t) of the member 12 when the latter is positioned as above described to connect a number of adjacent blocks of a row. The openings 51 have their sides of a length substantially equal to or slightly less than the outside diameter of the protrusions 50. The protrusions 50 constitute male elements which interlock with the openings 51 in the bottom wall of a block or blocks of the row next above in erecting a wall or partition. This interlocking engagement of blocks of superposed rows is readily achieved by exerting relatively slight downward pressure upon each block (except those of the lowermost row in the wall or partition) so that the openings 51 engage the protrusions S0 of a superposed block or blocks. This downward pressure will cause a flexing or contraction of the protrusions 50 on the block or blocks therebelow until the block has reached its limit of movement, with the bottom member 13 in contact withthe topk surface of the `member 12 in the row of blocks therebelow. The slight flexibility or yieldability of the protrusions 50 enables them to spring or snap back to normal position after such limit of movement has been reached, thereby providing a very tight-fitting frictional interlocking of the blocks in each row with those of the rows immediately thereabove and therebelow.

If desired, the frictional engagement between the outer surface of the protrusions 50 and the edges of the openings 51 may be increased by forming the sides of the latter with anges 52 extending inwardly of the bottom member at anV angle toward the axis of thel openings 51.

Thus, as will now be readily understood, not only are several adjacent blocks of each row connected to and interlocked with one another by Ymeans of the member 12, serving as the top wall for the several blocks, but the blocks of each row are interlocked with those of the rows next below yand next above, by means of the protrusions 59 on the member 12 in cooperation with the openings 51 in the bottom member 13 of each block.

The invention thus makes it possible to erect a wall or partition possessing adequate structural strength and sturdiness Without requiring the use of mortar Vor other cementitious material for bonding together the blocks composing the wall or partition. Moreover, the described interconnection of several blocks of each row with those of the rows next above and next below, also makes it possible to pre-assemble several rows of several blocks each to be handled as a unit for packaging or shipment or in the course of erecting a wall or partition.

l claim:

l. A building block adapted tobe laid with other like blocks in superposed rows in erecting a building wall or partition without the use of mortar or other cementitious material between adjacent blocks, said block comprising:

(l) a hollow, substantially rectangular relatively elongated, body portion comprising:

(a) front and back walls;

(b) a pair-of parallel end Walls extending transversely with respect to said front and back walls and connecting the respective ends of said front and back walls to provide an open top and an open bottom for said body portion;

(2) a separable closure member for said open bottom of said body portion, said closure member being formed with a series of spaced, longitudinally aligned openings therein; and

(3) a separable closure member for said open top of said body portion, said last-named closure member being of a length which is a multiple of the length ot said body portion and being formed with a series of spaced, longitudinally aligned protrusions projecting upwardly therefrom; said closure members each'having flanges extending substantially at right angles thereto along each of their respective longitudinal margins, each of said flanges being formed with a plurality of spaced knobs, said front and back walls each being formed with return-bent portions at their respective upper and lower ends, each of said return-bent portions at the lower end of said front and back walls being formed with means receiving and frictionally engaging said knobs on the flanges of said iirstnamed closure member, each of said return-bent portionsA V7 the blocks of said first-namedrow with those of said second-named row.

2. A building block as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said end walls is formed witha pair of spaced vertical slots extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof,

' each of said slots arranged to receive one of said flanges of said top member.

3. A building block as dened in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving said knobs comprises a series of spaced openings formed in each of said return-bent portions.

4. A building block as defined in claiml, wherein said means for receiving said knobs comprises a groove extending longitudinally along each of said return-bent portions.

8, References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 460,177 9/91 Cook 50-405 2,173,020 9/39 Kubach 50453 X 2,241,169 5/41 Yokes 50--440 X 2,504,850 4/50 `Lernier 220-60 2,565,823 8/51 Pool 46-25 2,887,868 5/59 Glidden 50-372 X BENJAMIN BENDETT, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiners. 

1. A BUILDING BLOCK ADAPTED TO BE LAID WITH OTHER LIKE BLOCKS IN SUPERPOSED ROWS IN ERECTING A BUILDING WALL OR PARTITION WITHOUT THE USE OF MORTAR OR OTHER CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL BETWEEN ADJACENT BLOCKS, SAID BLOCK COMPRISING: (1) A HOLLOW, SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RELATIVELY ELONGATES, BODY PORTION COMPRISING: (A) FRONT AND BACK WALLS; (B) A PAIR OF PARALLEL END WALLS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS AND CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS TO PROVIDE AN OPEN TOP AND AN OPEN BOTTOM FOR SAID BODY PORTION; (2) A SEPARABLE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID OPEN BOTTOM OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING FORMED WITH A SERIES OF SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN; AND (3) A SEPARABLE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID OPEN TOP OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID LAST-NAMED CLOSURE MEMBER BEING OF A LENGTH WHICH IS MULTIPLE OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY PORTION AND BEING FORMED WITH A SERIES OF SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED PROTRUSIONS PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; SAID CLOSURE MEMBERS EACH HAVING FLANGES EXTENDING SUB STANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO ALONG EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL MARGINS, EACH OF SAID FLANGES BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED KNOBS, SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS EACH BEING FORMED WITH RETURN-BENT PORTIONS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, EACH OF SAID RETURN-BENT PORTIONS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING FORMED WITH MEANS RECEIVING AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID KNOBS ON THE FLANGES OF SAID FIRSTNAMES CLOSURE MEMBER, EACH OF SAID RETURN-BENT PORTIONS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING FORMED WITH MEANS RECEIVEING AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID KNOBS ON THE FLANGES OF SAID SECOND-NAMED CLOSURE MEMBER FOR CONNECTING A CORRESPONDING MULTIPLE NUMBER OF BLOCKS IN A HORIZONTAL ROW OF BLOCKS, SAID PROTRUSIONS ON SAID SECOND-NAMED CLOSURE MEMBER BEING CONFIGURED AND DIMENSIONED RELATIVE TO THE OPENINGS IN THE FIRST-NAMED CLOSURE MEMBER WHEREBY EACH OF SAID PROTRUSIONS WILL BE RECEIVED IN SAID FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED BY AN AXIALLY ALIGNED ONE OF SAID OPENINGS IN A FIRST-NAMED CLOSURE MEMBER OF BLOCKS IN A ROW OF BLOCKS SUPERPOSED THEREON, FOR INTERLOCKING THE BLOCKS OF SAID FIRST-NAMED ROW WITH THOSE OF SAID SECOND-NAMED ROW. 